St. Thomas athletics director Phil Esten has been living within a professional whirlwind for the past year: elevating the entire school’s athletic department to Division I; hiring one of the biggest names in men’s hockey (Rico Blasi), and having his new women’s hockey coach Joel Johnson named as the U.S. Olympic coach weeks after his arrival. But it might be the hiring of a men’s hockey assistant—one with very little fanfare—that will have the most social significance. Leon Hayward is the only Black coach in Division I hockey, a fact of life that he embraces.

“It’s a privilege to be that person,” said Hayward, speaking on the phone from St. Paul a week into the job. “At the end of the day, I want to inspire other people to play, and I want those black players to know that you can continue on in the sport, and be a coach, and be something else beyond just being a player. That, for me, is extremely important.”

Esten is a progressive A.D., a guy who helped drive three different Big 10 schools to national prominence while emphasizing diversity. He instilled that philosophy immediately upon arrival at St. Thomas two years ago. “Of course it’s a priority for us,” said Esten. “Not just for athletics, but across campus, to make progress in social and racial injustice, and our D.E.I. [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion] Planning. Since I’ve started, 30% of our hires have been diverse candidates. It doesn’t happen if you don’t make it a priority; you work on it every single hire.” Esten then qualified for the hiring of the man who is both a pioneer and a seasoned pro. “Leon is here because he’s a great hockey coach. He had an enormous amount of success at Colorado College. He’s going to be a great fit for us.” 

Hayward is quick to point out that at the highest echelons of college hockey, the bottom line is on the scoreboard. “At the Division I level, your color doesn’t matter, your win total matters. I’m excited to build something with Rico and Stu (Bickel) here, something that is sustainable and long-term. We want to win our recruiting battles with the biggest schools in the country…win championships.”

Hayward comes to St. Thomas with the reputation as an elite recruiter for Colorado College, a school that plays in the hyper-competitive NCHC. Although he is responsible for recruiting every corner of North America, the fact that Hayward now resides in the State of Hockey significantly improves his travel-to-scouting ratio.

“It’s like coaching football in Florida—your homegrown talent is there,” said Hayward. “To be able to drive and see elite players every day is awesome. I’ve been here a week and I’ve literally been at different games around the city, seen something different every day. You know the talent level in each place, in each league, it’s just essential.” 

Hayward has lived in nearly every hockey hotbed within the United States while learning at the hip from hockey’s master class: serving Russ Farwell and Walt Kyle as a teenager in Seattle; getting assistant jobs at elite Eastern prep schools Taft and Avon Old Farms. At national power Avon, he absorbed lessons from the legendary John Gardner. Former Taft coach Dan Murphy was convinced that Hayward had chosen the right profession, despite being a coaching newbie who had recently transitioned from his ECHL playing career.  

“He was fantastic with the details of the game,” said Murphy, “and brought an upbeat attitude to the rink every day. The kids loved Leon, and he helped them get the most out of their abilities.”

In addition to all the traditional hockey leaders that influenced Hayward, one of his most meaningful role models was a fellow man of color. During Hayward’s freshman year at Northeastern, he was introduced to Huskies’ alum Wayne Turner. Turner was the hero who scored the historic overtime winner in NU’s first Beanpot championship back in 1980. Jim Madigan made the introduction that Hayward never forgot. “In college, all I wanted to be was Wayne Turner. I wanted to score that goal at the Beanpot,” said Hayward. “He was a great player, and still a great ambassador for the sport and for Northeastern.”

Hayward did indeed score in the Beanpot, a semifinal win over Harvard his freshman year. He was grateful to have played in two championship games but never managed to get his hands on that elusive ’Pot. “Kind of had our hearts broken our senior year, up 2-1 going into the third…” Hayward’s pathos-laden daydream trailed off as he returned to his current mission. 

Not only is he in the epicenter of American hockey, but he also is in the eye of the political storm within the Twin Cities, one that has been swirling around since the death of George Floyd and the birth of Black Lives Matter. Hayward is willing to try and make a difference.

“I feel there’s an important role that I hope I can play, by working with organizations locally that have done some great work,” said Hayward. “Helping out by meeting some of the players that are in town that have started some non-profits, that I can be part of a solution. I’ve always been a solutions-based person. I hope that I can be a positive voice in the cities here because I think it’s important.”

Black Americans have been few and far between in the history of Division I hockey, BU’s Mike Grier, Erik Foley of Providence, and Princeton women’s star Kelsey Koelzer come to mind. Koelzer blazed the trail for Hayward by becoming the first black person to head an NCAA hockey team at any level when she was hired to lead the women's program at Arcadia University. If NCAA hockey is going to benefit from this vital segment of America’s population, this old adage rings loudly: “If you see it, you can be it.”